A BILLINGHAM grandad died the day after he was given the wrong drugs by a hospital, an inquest heard.

Ronald Duffy, 73, of Grampian Road, was given someone else’s medication when he was discharged from the University Hospital of North Tees.

He had taken two pills before nurses realised the mistake.

At an inquest into his death staff apologised for the error, but a post-mortem examination showed there was no evidence that the mix up had contributed to his death.

Mr Duffy, who suffered angina, was admitted to hospital on April 30 after suffering a heart attack. While there he had a stroke and a second heart attack but was discharged after rehabilitation on May 25.

A nurse went through his medication with him and his wife, Anne, before he was sent home. But four hours later they received a phone call saying he had been given someone else’s drugs.

Mrs Duffy said: “At 6pm he took one tablet of two of the types of medicine. Half an hour later the phone rang.

“A sister from the ward said there had been a mix up and that he had been given someone else’s medication by mistake.”

Mr Duffy had already taken two of the pills - Isosorbide mononitrate and Nicarandil.

Doctors checked him and gave him the all clear but he collapsed and died at home the next day at around 7.15pm.

Pathologist Mark Egan said Mr Duffy appeared to have died of a heart attack, adding: “In my opinion the incorrect medication did not contribute to the death.”

The registered nurse who handed out the medication, Shirry Mwaikambo, had been providing temporary cover. She said she did not know how Mr Duffy ended up with the wrong drugs.

Discharge lounge co-ordinator Dorothy Butler said nurses have to follow a procedure when handing out medication which includes matching the patient’s wrist band to the name on the prescription and checking the labels.

She said written procedures had now been put in place to prevent another mix up.

She added: “Can I just say to Mrs Duffy, I am very sorry.”

Teesside Coroner Michael Sheffield returned a verdict of natural causes.

Mrs Duffy said: “I can’t go against the verdict, all the doctors’ reports say natural causes, but he should never have been sent home with the wrong medication.”